Heathrow airport will name, shame and fine airlines with planes that are too noisy

LONDON — Airlines found guilty of breaking noise limits at Heathrow airport will face bigger fines and will be named and shamed by the London hub as it seeks to win more public support for a controversial expansion. Europe’s busiest airport plans to “significantly increase” the fines it imposes on airlines that break its day and night noise limits, it said in a report released yesterday (May 31), part of its efforts to gain approval for expansion. Fines for carriers that break maximum noise levels, which differ according to the time of day, range from £500 (S$960) to £1,000 per case. Fewer decibels are allowed during the night. Heathrow’s two biggest airlines are British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, but it is also used heavily by major flag carriers like Lufthansa, Air France and Emirates. The two-runway hub, operated by Heathrow Ltd, said it would also rank the 80 airline...